A: The 911 system was designed for use in life threatening situations, when an emergency exists and an immediate response is necessary from a police officer, an ambulance, or the fire department.

An "emergency" occurs when there is an immediate danger to a person's life or safety; a crime is in progress or there is a possibility of a major property loss. Examples of emergencies would include a situation involving imminent danger to someone such as a serious medical emergency such as someone not breathing or having a heart attack; an armed robbery; a break-in of a home or business in progress; use of firearms; fires; and other incidents requiring an immediate police, fire or medical emergency response.

There is a non-emergency number to call if you want to report something such as a barking dog, loud stereo, lost or found items, etc. or any call when you need a police officer for any non-emergency matter. That number is 541-776-7206. This will connect you with our dispatch center and they will have an officer contact you.

Our office number at Talent PD is for administrative requests and not for reporting crimes. Our office is staffed normally Monday through Friday 8 to 4 excluding the noon hour. Phone messages may not be received in a timely manner if you need a police response.

If you do need to call 911 for help say, "I have a POLICE- MEDICAL - or FIRE emergency" The 911 Dispatcher will ask several questions to get the appropriate emergency service en route to you. Questions will include:

The specific emergency you are reporting

Location of the emergency

The number of the phone you are calling from. This is in case connection is lost or information is needed later.

A: If a vehicle is abandoned on a street or a vehicle is being stored on the street, please call 541-776-7206 to report this to an officer. We will mark the vehicle and send notice to the owner. We will allow a week usually to remove the vehicle. However, in some cases some vehicles can be immediately towed if they are a hazard.

A: We hear the following questions often about our police patrols.Does the City of Talent have 24 hour Police coverage?

Yes we do. Through the dedication of our officers we maintain 24/7/365 police coverage.

Why do I see Talent Police cars in Medford or other cities?

You will often see TPD cars in other cities due to taking prisoners to jail, meeting victims at the hospital, or conducting case follow up.

"Why would a Phoenix Police Officer or Deputy Sheriff respond to my house when I live in Talent?"

We rely on assistance from nearby agencies to assist us and we in turn assist them with calls. If our officer is engaged in a lengthy case or taking someone to jail another emergency call may come in and other agencies will assist us.

Can a Talent Officer pull me over outside of the City of Talent?

In Oregon, police officers have police powers throughout the state. They generally take action only when on duty in or near their jurisdiction. If we are in Ashland or Medford for example we can and do take enforcement action when we observe traffic violations or crimes.

Why can police drive on the Greenway?

We drive on the Greenway when we are looking for a suspect usually. However, sometimes a routine patrol of the path lets criminals know we are in the area and they don’t feel as comfortable harassing citizens using the path.

A: Recology Ashland Sanitary partnered with the Talent Police Department to provide a way to safely dispose of old prescription drugs. The prescription drug deposit box is located in the lobby of Talent PD at 604 Talent, Ave. It was built and donated by Recology Ashland Sanitary along with the sign that is displayed on the wall. This program will help keep prescription medicines away from children, out of our water supply, and not pollute our landfills and waste treatment systems.

The prescription drug deposit box accepts only the following items:

Prescriptions

Over the counter Medications

Medication Samples

Medications for pets

Ointments

Lotions

Liquid medication in glass or leak proof containers.

The following items WILL NOT be accepted in the box.

Needles (sharps)

Thermometers

Bloody or infectious waste

Medications from businesses or clinics

Hydrogen peroxide

Aerosol cans or inhalers

Food items

Supplements

The box is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

A: If you are cited by a Talent Police officer for a traffic violation there are two courts you may be cited to appear in. Please check the bottom of the citation for where and when to appear.

If the citation is for a violation of the traffic code you will be cited into Jackson County Justice Court at 505 Oak St in Central Point, Oregon. Usually the appearance is on Wednesday at 3 p.m. Most citations for traffic matters will be through this court, including parking tickets. Additionally, our Municipal Code violation citations will be handled through Justice Court.

If you committed a serious traffic crime such as DUI, you will be cited into Circuit Court at 100 S. Oakdale, Medford, OR.